This arrangement destroys the community networks that should be the basis for reconstructing village communities. When it comes to resettling villagers together and rebuilding villages, past experience of collective relocation should be borne in mind, and authorities should take into account the villagers’ way of life, social structure and communal relationships.
Aborigines have known since ancient times how to build their own homes, and the elders have an inherited understanding of the mountains and forests. The first consideration should, therefore, be the people’s livelihood, and they should be allowed to choose suitable locations to build their own groups of houses.
No matter where transitional housing and permanent settlements are located, it is important to provide materials that are suitable for building by the villagers themselves and that can be taken apart and reused. The housing should be of good quality and include shared spaces for community use. These are key points in reconstructing Aboriginal village communities.
Otherwise, Aborigines who have been forced to move from their native mountains and forests and deprived of the mutual aid network provided by their communities are likely to quickly become wandering refugees in towns and cities, giving rise to new social problems.
Along Chen is an associate professor of tourism and hospitality at Kainan University and convener of the Workshop for Bio-Cultural Diversity.
TRANSLATED BY JULIAN CLEGG
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